Anita Palmer loved her parents, her friends, her life and, she thought, her new boyfriend Evan Thomas. Evan was Romeo to her Juliet in the school's upcoming play. Anita hoped Evan would tell her he loved her as they celebrated her 16th birthday one day early with a boat ride on the Thames. However, when the boat crashed into a pylon, the young couple ended up in a hospital, and Anita's world and her place in it changed irrevocably.

There had been signs prior to the accident. There were the itchy bumps on Anita's shoulder blades and the burning and sparks whenever she touched metal that had been getting worse over the last few months. Then in the hospital, her parents bring her a blank book she was sent as a birthday gift. When they leave for the night, Anita sees the pages aren't blank after all: The book has the story of Princess Tania and her parents, King Oberon and Queen Titania, up until the princess disappeared the night before her wedding. Suddenly, Tania is pulled into that other world, the world of Faerie, to learn she is the missing Princess Tania.

Jones has a good grip on his characters. The teens are smart, witty and, as is the usual case with teens, sure that they know what is best for them. At first Anita is entranced by Faerie and all its wonders; then she remembers her home and her parents in the Mortal World. She's torn between the two. She doesn't remember her past life in Faerie though sometimes there are things that seem familiar.

There are a lot of information and emotions flowing around her, and the author really lets you feel Anita's indecision and confusion as she tries to adjust to what, to her, is her new life. She's grown up in the Mortal World -- to be dumped suddenly into the ruling class of a seemingly medieval society is a shock. She doesn't understand the class differences and the accepted prejudices of her new society. She's also confused, hurt and betrayed by Evan, who turns out to actually be from Faerie.

While this is listed as a young adult novel for readers 12 and up, adults would also find it interesting. The action covers Anita/Tania's search to find her place in her new world, family, and society while not forsaking her parents in the Mortal World. There's enough going on to keep interest to the last page and a promising hint of future stories with these characters.

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